Same old Pillar
Posted September 25, 2009
By Arryc,
Confessions is a well-made album, and one that only Pillar could do.
Let me start of by saying that I was deeply saddened at the news of Pillar's dummer and bassist being replaced for this album. It so happened that the previous drummer is my favorite of all time. That being said, my view of this album may be somewhat clouded.
One of the things I appreciate most about Pillar is that in the first half of their career, every album had a different sound. Recently, however, the band has not given us much of anything new.
Let's take the music of Where Do We Go From Here, the vocals of The Reckoning, and the emotion of For the Love of the Game, and you have Confessions. In other words, the over all sound is new (but still similar to past sounds), but the various elements that it incorporates are elements we have heard before.
If you want to know whether or not to get this album, I would say it comes down to what you expect. Are you a Pillar fan who wants to hear the good ol' stuff fit into new songs? You've got to get this CD. Are you looking for the band to reinvent themselves again? Perhaps it would be better to pass on this one. If you are not familiar with any of their old stuff, then this would be a good album with which to sample their style, but I'd recommend Where Do We Go From Here as their best release.
Allow me to return to my statement that Pillar "has not given us MUCH of anything new." There is ONE thing that Confessions offers that is new: In their ballads "Better Off Now" and "Will You Be There", Pillar pulls out their seldom-heard acoustic guitars. In addition to that, they've thrown in some orchestral strings, which I love. Musically, this is probably their best album as far as ballads go (although they can't beat the lyrics of past ballads, especially "Rewind").
Another great part of the album is Pillar's cover of Collective Soul's "Shine". Pillar does a great job of making it their own while still keeping the spirit of the original. Plus, it's just a fun song to sing along with.
Confessions offers a great rock sound. It is not like the energetic rock of For the Love of the Game, which feels like it should be played in stadiums or commercials for sports, but it has a nice, steady, and powerful feel.
If you liked Pillar in the past, this CD surely will not disappoint. View All Music And Book Reviews By Arryc | View Arryc's Profile
|
